


2000 miles.

by porcelainsimplicity



Series: christmas stories [17]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Advent Challenge, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Christmas, M/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 01:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16985310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity
Summary: In these frozen and silent nightsSometimes in a dream... you appearOutside under the purple skyDiamonds in the snow... sparkleOur hearts were singingIt felt like Christmastime2000 milesIs very far through the snowI'll think of youWherever you goor:  Charles is trying to get home to New York from London but his flight is delayed.  A handsome man named Erik sits next to him and something is born between them.





	2000 miles.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Scarlett_Phoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Phoenix/gifts).



> Day 14 Prompt: Two strangers wind up participating in a holiday activity together.  
> Day 14 Title Song: 2000 Miles – The Pretenders
> 
> I suppose this counts as a holiday activity, right? It happens to people all the time.

It was bad enough that Charles was having to fly back to New York on Christmas Day. Bad enough that he wasn't spending the holiday at home. But now the flight was delayed for some reason that had been explained to Charles but Charles didn't understand, so instead of spending Christmas at home like he wanted to, he was sitting in the middle of Heathrow wondering if he was going to get home that day at all. 

It's not like his mother would have cared anyway, but Charles definitely did.

For the past hour, a man had been sitting next to Charles, trying to make conversation while Charles scrolled through his phone looking for a different flight. He'd glanced over at him once or twice before deciding the man was just annoying, and he'd tried to ignore him ever since. But Charles was growing more frustrated by the second, because it appeared that every flight out of there at the moment was currently delayed, and he was about to throw his phone across the room when a paper cup appeared in front of him. 

“I thought you might like some tea.”

Charles glanced up to see the man standing there, taking a sip from a matching paper cup. Charles got a good look at him this time and realized how absolutely fucking gorgeous the man was, and he reached out and took the cup from him. “Thank you.”

“They told me that it's Darjeeling, which I was very surprised to find in the middle of Heathrow,” the man said as he sat back down. 

Charles smiled at took a small sip of the extremely hot liquid. “Darjeeling is my favorite.”

“Mine too.”

“I'm Charles,” he said after another sip. “And this just made my afternoon a little better.”

The man smiled at him. “I'm Erik. And I'm glad. You have looked rather frustrated there for quite awhile now.”

“That's because I am,” Charles said, sighing heavily. “It'll be New Year's by the time I get back to New York at this rate.”

“No, it won't,” Erik soothed. “New York, hm? Me too.”

“Yes,” Charles said, pulling out his boarding pass. “It was supposed to have left at eleven fifteen. But now it's five thirty and I'm still sitting here.”

“I'm still sitting here as well,” Erik said, pulling out an almost matching boarding pass. “I was supposed to be on the eleven fifteen to New York too.”

“What a coincidence that we ended up sitting here next to one another,” Charles said, taking another sip of his tea.

“I agree,” Erik murmured. “But I do have some good news for you.”

“You do?”

“You've been too lost in your little frustrated world,” Erik laughed. “They announced that we should be boarding in about twenty minutes.”

Charles's eyes brightened. “Really?”

“Why would I lie about this? I want to get back to New York as desperately as you want to, I imagine.”

Charles grinned at him. “I didn't mean to imply that you were lying. I'm just very happy right now.”

“Me too,” Erik said, taking a long sip of his drink.

They made idle chatter until the call to board came, and then they made idle chatter while waiting in line to board, but when they walked onto the plane, they both found themselves walking to the same spot. A quick glance at each other's paperwork and they were both laughing because they were in seats that were next to each other. They settled down into the seats and buckled themselves in, listened to the safety instructions from the flight attendant, and soon the plane was in the air.

About an hour into the flight, Erik asked Charles who was waiting for him in New York, and Charles just sighed. “I wish there was a man waiting for me but unfortunately there's not. So I'm headed to my mother's, which pretty much means that I'll just spend the day with her completely drunk. That's nothing new. She's completely drunk all of the time.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Erik said. “My father was a bit of a drunk as well, so I sympathize.”

“Thank you. What about you? Who is waiting for you?”

“Like you, it is no one but my mother,” Erik murmured. “She is in very poor health and I didn't want to leave her to come on this trip but she told me to. It's only a matter of time before she's gone.”

“I'm so sorry,” Charles said quickly. “I had no idea.”

“It's alright. I know you didn't. She's so upset that I don't have a man in my life. She doesn't want me to be alone once she's gone.” 

The plane hit some turbulence then and Charles's attention shifted to making sure the plane didn't crash. Erik kept assuring him that everything was fine but Charles was terrified for awhile, and he didn't feel much like speaking once the plane settled back out. He didn't want to admit that he was dwelling on the fact that Erik appeared to be gay, nor the fact that he was perhaps the most gorgeous man he'd ever laid eyes on, nor the fact that he seemed to be incredibly attracted to this man who had figuratively fallen into his lap. He didn't want to admit to any of that. 

But as the plane was making its descent in New York, Charles suddenly realized that Erik was about to walk out of his life as quickly as he'd walked into it, and he knew he had to do something to prevent that from happening.

“What are you doing for New Year's Eve?” he asked casually as they walked off the plane.

“Not a thing planned,” Erik said, looking over at him. “Why?”

“My friend, he always has this party,” Charles started. “Hank is always after me to bring a date but I never do, and I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me?”

They walked in silence for a few moments and Charles was about ready to mentally murder himself for doing something as stupid as ask Erik out when Erik turned and smiled at him. “You know what, Charles? That sounds great.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

They programmed their numbers into one another's phones as they waited at baggage claim, and they walked to the waiting taxis together. They stood there for a moment, each unwilling to leave the other, before Charles broke out into a big grin. “I have to get to my mother's, but I'd really like to call and talk to you later, if that's alright?”

Erik grinned back at him. “I would really enjoy that.”

“Merry Christmas, Erik.”

“Merry Christmas, Charles.”

They walked away from each other then, heading to different taxis and different parts of the city, but both of them knew that something had brought them together for a reason and they were looking forward to finding out what that reason was.


End file.
